Program Housing

Thursday, February 26, 2009

About REITs: Real Estate Investment TrustsReal Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) were created in the 60s so that all investors would have access to income-producing real estate through the purchase and sale of liquid securities. Before REITs were created access to investment returns of commercial real estate equity was only available to institutions and wealthy individuals.For over half a century, REITs have become an important part of the United States economy and investment markets. United States REITs have grown from ninety billion dollars to over three hundred billion dollars in the past decade and they have gained popularity all over the world.During their early years, mortgage Real Estate Investment Trust dominated the industry, providing debt financing for commercial or residential properties through investments in mortgages and mortgage-backed securities. Interest in equity REITs which own and manage commercial properties was limited because of the requirements that ownership and management of assets remain separate. This restriction was lifted with the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 which allowed REITs to both own and manage properties. Now, more than 90% of publicly traded United States REITs are equity REITs that own and manage commercial real estate. Most of their income is derived from rents owned by companies across the nation.There are certain guidelines and standards in place that must be followed in order for a company to qualify as a REIT in the US. The internal Revenue Code requires at least Seventy Five percent of total assets be invested in real estate which realize at least Seventy Five percent of its gross income from rents from real property or interest from mortgages. They must also distribute at least Ninety percent of taxable income to shareholders annually in the form of dividends.

Are you a part time real estate investor? Do you have a few REITs in your portfolio that you look at from time to time to see how they are doing? If so, you are making one the mistakes that can keep you from being one of those investing success stories.

Many people look at investing as a hobby. It's just something to do with their extra money and they hope if they ignore it eventually it will grow into something. This is not the way to take care of your investments. Instead you need to take a more active role in them.

Investing is not a hobby. There is money on the line, serious money. It's your money, and you should treat it as such. That means once you start purchasing REITs you need to keep a closer eye on what they are doing as well as what the other markets around them are doing. This can help you key in on good time to buy, sell or make changes to your portfolio.

So what is the best way to do this? Well, you need to keep your investments in your own hands. The best method to this end is to go online with them. If your portfolio has REITs in it, it is even wiser to go with an online broker that knows and appreciates REITs like REITbuyer.com.

REITBuyer.com is a full service REIT brokerage firm, with REITs as their specialty, so you will be in a world where everything is focused on your market. That's good news for you because the more focused you can be on your preferred market, the more you can see what may be coming and know when to buy.

Once you sign up for REITBuyer.com, you need to learn how to use it to it's full potential to make sure you are getting everything you need to do better in investing. Start by making sure you know as much as you think you do about REITs. The education and advise area of the site will make sure you have all the knowledge you need to make smart decisions as you invest in new REITs or decide what to do with the ones you already have.

Next you need to keep up with what is happening right now. Remember, fortunes are made and lost in minutes on the market. While this is not as much the case with REITs, not knowing when to buy a REIT that is priced low can mean you are making less of a profit down the road. So, keep your eye on the REIT news section. This will give you an idea of what is happening in the market that could impact the REITs you have or are considering buying.

You should also look at the blogs and other statistics, as each of these things will give you a little more insight into what is happening.

Finally, when you are ready to buy or sell, you can take command of your portfolio and complete all of those transactions with online trading on the same website.

Make Money with REITs

About Me

http://www.reitbuyer.com is an Online Brokerage Specializing In REITs And Real Estate Mutual Funds – 1st And Only Site Dedicated To REITs Real Estate Mutual Funds. A Place for the Small Investor to Own a Piece of World Class Real Estate.